The present invention pertains to processes and apparatus for making garments, and more particularly to processes and apparatus for folding and bonding disposable absorbent garments.
Garments such as disposable absorbent garments have numerous applications including diapers, training pants, feminine care products, and adult incontinence products. The typical disposable absorbent garment is formed as a composite structure including an absorbent assembly disposed between a liquid permeable bodyside liner and a liquid impermeable outer cover. These components can be combined with other materials and features such as elastic materials and containment structures to form a product that is specifically suited to its intended purposes.
One form of disposable absorbent garment is a two-dimensional product that has open sides. Two-dimensional products, such as conventional diapers and some adult incontinence products, are generally flat and provided in an unfastened configuration. These garments have typically included fasteners such as adhesive tape fasteners or hook and loop type fasteners that releasably connect the front and back waist portions to secure the product about the wearer. Two-dimensional product can be easily applied or removed while the wearer is lying down.
Another form of disposable absorbent garment is a three-dimensional product with closed sides so that the product has a unitary waist opening and two leg openings. The wearer raises and lowers the garment to apply the product. Three-dimensional products are particularly appealing because the pant has a very garment-like look. Children for instance identify diaper products with babies, and most children do not like being identified with or as babies. Consequently, these children do not want to wear baby diapers, and instead prefer to wear training pants that look like adult underwear. Thus, the switch from a traditional diaper to a more garment-like or underwear-like training pant can be an important step in the toilet training process. Similarly, adults seeking the protection of incontinence products prefer the normalcy of a pant product rather than an incontinence product that must be applied in another fashion. Three-dimensional garments have been designed such that they can be torn to remove the garment from the wearer after it has been soiled.
Recently, prefastened and refastenable disposable absorbent garments have been proposed to provide the advantages of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional products. Prefastened and refastenable products can be applied and/or removed either like a conventional diaper or like a conventional training pant. For use as training pants, for example, there may be times when it would be useful to apply the product like a diaper. For instance, it might be more convenient to apply the product like a diaper when there is a desire not to remove the child's shoes. Because it is difficult to know when a particular mode of applying the garment will be needed, it is beneficial to have a garment that is adaptable to being used either as a diaper or as a pant. This is preferable to keeping both types of garments available. A product that can be applied like either a diaper or a pant permits the interior of the product to be easily checked without having to pull the product downward.
Disposable absorbent products present many manufacturing challenges. In part, this is due to the high speed that is necessary to economically produce relatively low cost disposable absorbent products. Further, prefastened and refastenable garments present new challenges for high speed manufacturing. Such products must incorporate refastenable fasteners that are properly aligned and engaged. Improperly attached or aligned fasteners can lead to many product deficiencies, including machine waste and/or delay, improper fit, fastener delamination during use, fastener disengagement during use, skin irritation, or the like.
Thus, what is lacking and needed in the art are improved processes and apparatus for folding and bonding disposable absorbent garments, including prefastened disposable absorbent garments.